To be surprised that family attractions are so busy?

[cattyfranny]

I see and hear a lot about families cutting back due to the current economic situation and yet attractions (theme parks, zoos etc) and holiday parks (Centre Parcs etc) seem to be packed. I thought Christmas businesses might suffer but those that have started taking bookings are already selling out. Are people going into debt for this kind of thing? Or are there more people with high disposable income than I realise?

It's not ever going to affect people equally. If you have enough to get by, plus a bit of slack in the budget for treats, then your experience is likely to be a mild version of what a person who is already genuinely financially stretched is going to have to cope with.

London is also jam packed with tourist - more than in previous years IMO due to no visitors for 2 summers

Totally agree, this summer holidays we have seen more people than ever at attractions, cafes, restaurants, all heaving. Perhaps people want to have a good time after covid and some have money left from those quieter times. Not everyone will be in trouble this winter, a lot of people will have fixed energy for this year, fixed mortgages etc.

I ha

Many people will not be affected by the rising prices. A large section of society still has a disposable income and will carry on as normal.

I do feel that the media is whipping people up into a frenzy especially regarding food prices. Some people saying the cost of their weekly shop has literally doubled I just don't think is accurate. Obviously it varies by item but overall it is being reported to be approx 7%.

Fuel has gone down slightly but when it first rose there were protesters and people saying they were getting rid of cars and how would they get to work. Now people have become accustomed (rightly or wrongly) and I don't hear it mentioned.

People who are already on the breadline will be the hardest done by.

It will be tough but as harsh as it sounds, life goes on just as it has throughout history.

This.

We have electric blankets, ds is a swimmer and I have gym membership there (£30 a month).

As ds swims 5 days (9 times) a week we can shower there and not in to need heating.

I've cut back on food shopping already by switching brands and have my branded and non branded sorted.

Had already cut back on coffees out and have plenty of flasks and thermos'.

We aren't high income but not low either and some things we will cut back on again.

But it's true I'm in a position where I'm set up to make cut backs and can avoid high energy prices (not a rise but not as high as the percentage rise iyswim?).

@GyozaGuiting we were in California this summer and the prices were extortionate! Last time I was there was 25 years ago, so obviously very different times and much better exchange rate. But we felt ripped off at every turn. Had to stop eating out which we enjoy doing on holiday and bought things from supermarket for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch but even that was expensive. £10 for a packet of supermarket basic croissants, compared to UK £2.50. We saw a big bag of M&Ms for £15!

I looked at payrates there and working in somewhere like 5 guys burgers you got 25 USD an hour, care workers 20usd so I guess affordable for locals.

Not going there again!

I’m just coming back from a trip away - daughter plays a sport which we sometimes travel for. We‘ve travelled by train and spent 2 nights in a hotel. Have not worried about spending money etc etc. However I suspect this will be the last time for a while I’ll be able to do this without worrying where every penny is going. I’ve already told her that from now on I’ll have less money due to increased bills. Maybe poorer, working families like mine (with a little disposable income) are just having one last hooray in the holidays before the shit hits the fan.

The energy price hikes and interest rate rises havn't really come through yet. Lots of people won't realise how bad things are going to get. Some won't know, some will be in denial. And yes, a proportion will have enough "headroom" not to be badly affected....yet!

I was in London this weekend taking DD to the Stranger Things Experience. Place was jam packed and the tills on the merchandise hall were working overtime.

Previous posters nailed it - there are still people who won't be that affected including myself but I wouldn't normally share that with people because I appreciate that there are many who struggle.

I'm a single parent but it's just me and DD, so we don't use that much energy. I have no mortgage or rent, reasonable savings and as a nurse work is plentiful.I've had to make some hard decisions to get to this place (removing DD from her school, friends, home and moving to a place where we knew no-one but could afford to buy in the middle of lockdown 1) when I split from Ex and they were heart rending at times but financially they have made me very stable.

So yes I will be out there spending even during winter.

People might be cutting back but still want a good time, we wanted to go to Blackpool Pleasure Beach but went to Gullivers world instead at less than half the price. Lots of Merlin attractions are on offer with Cadbury products so may be attracting people too.

I think people will start cutting back more when the weather gets colder and heating goes on; it's easier to be in denial about huge energy bills when the weather is very warm.

We’ve been making up for lost time during covid and going out loads this summer, have been away on holiday, and even at home we are eating out a couple of times a week and going for coffees and lunches too that we weren’t for the last couple of years. We are very fortunate in that the financial situation won’t really affect us. Most people I know are in the same circumstances, haven’t seen anyone really cutting back.

This. As much as someone reading most of these threads would assume everyone is on the breadline in reality this isn't the case. Sure most people will need to make some changes and cut backs, but it won't be as catastrophic for some as it will for others.

Where were you?

Where I live we get lots of visitors, some days you can hardly move on the main road in & out. Most of the cars are what I'd call expensive - relatively new and enormous. I would class the occupants as wealthy, judging them by what they are driving. So still plenty of people about who can afford such luxuries. I think that may change though once the energy prices start to shoot up.

We have annual passes for the local zoo and theme park so it doesn't cost any more to go as long as we pack food and drink. So we would be seen about this summer but we won't be renewing them.

I couldn't give a toss anymore tbh. I'm paying all my bills and have enough left over to have a few modest treats each month. However, if or when the price increase comes it will sink me. My 'perfect' credit score will take an absolute hammering I'd imagine which will remove absolutely any possibility of getting a mortgage. I know now I won't be able to get on the housing ladder with my circumstances for the foreseeable (I work two jobs before anyone has a go) so I'm half tempted just to live life up on a credit card and then come what may. It'll be defaulted on by Christmas anyway I'd imagine as other bills such as increased rent, food and heat will all take priority. I haven't done it yet but I'm considering buying blankets and an airfryer to help reduce the energy bills impact. I wonder how many people out there are thinking the same, especially after the last two years.

We aren’t affected yet really, our utilities have gone up from £115 to £165 and now my DH just upped the DD to £200 by his own volition in preparation, that’s about it for us so far plus an extra £7 or so a week in diesel for me so no great increases here YET. We’ve had a weeks holiday in June to Spain and going again in Dec to my parents place in the Florida keys which is paid for already mostly and we’ve been in a few days out over summer and a weekend stay over at a theme park. I have no doubt it will be a very different story next January but for now it’s business as usual in this household we’ve been able to absorb the £80 more or so a month comfortably, an extra £200 will be our tipping point I’m sure!
Though to be fair my DH just changed his company car (it was due anyway) he went for a cheaper non prestige marque to save us some money a month on tax

Think the airport chaos and Covid regulation uncertainty has put so many people off a foreign break this year (also crap exchange rates) so families may be taking days here and there instead. But yes, prices are becoming extortionate, there is a lido/waterpark near us where it is £70 an hour to take 3 kids into the most basic pool-based slide-and-ride session.

They’ve gone down a level to save money and instead of going abroad or to a cottage in Cornwall for a week they are doing days out at zoos, seaside, theme parks etc

Ooops. My mistake!

Honestly we've just been getting out and enjoying the summer before the shit hits the fan.

We were at a safari park today. It was heaving. I thought the same as you!

I think a lot of people are doing exactly that. It’s kind of a last hurrah.